Amp Build: Ceriatone Kraken 50

[FourT6and2]

Here's a clip. This is with a 10K dropping resistor. Probably my favorite value so far. The volume is as loud as I can get it without clipping the mic on my laptop, sorry lol. I'm working to upload the other clips with different voltages too. But it takes a long time for YT to process 'em. I'm still toying with a few parts here and there.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRxC0PiaDTE

[FourT6and2]

10K dropper: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRxC0PiaDTE

12K dropper: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUm5IrmmwiY

15K dropper: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tfEA8hmOc8

18K dropper: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNgt8veFtFU

[harddriver]

Amp should be tighter, better definition with higher B+, looser, brower with lower B+ theoretically. As you already know with lower B+ the preamp tube will distort sooner with less headroom so it is balancing act where you want earlier distortion in the circuit.

What type of tonal differences are you hearing with the MPW's versus your Chupa with the Mallory 150's? In you clips the amp seems a little more HI-FI kinda SLO'ish versus the Chupa with CF resistors.

If you want more aggression use Ceramic Caps in the 1/2KV range in your mixer caps, bright caps, PI fizz cap and or tonestack. You have to experiment where you like them. Silver Micas tend to smooth the tone and take the pissed off aggression out.

[FourT6and2]

Amp should be tighter, better definition with higher B+, looser, brower with lower B+ theoretically. As you already know with lower B+ the preamp tube will distort sooner with less headroom so it is balancing act where you want earlier distortion in the circuit.

What type of tonal differences are you hearing with the MPW's versus your Chupa with the Mallory 150's? In you clips the amp seems a little more HI-FI kinda SLO'ish versus the Chupa with CF resistors.

If you want more aggression use Ceramic Caps in the 1/2KV range in your mixer caps, bright caps, PI fizz cap and or tonestack. You have to experiment where you like them. Silver Micas tend to smooth the tone and take the pissed off aggression out.

Hard to say how the MPWs are contributing compared to the 150s because of other changes in the circuit. But overall, I'd say the amp is less aggressive and a bit smoother. My stock Chupa has all micas too, so I don't think that's it. I'd say it's probably due to the choke and output transformer. I'm using a Marstran 139 OT and the choke is a Metro 352-114, which according to Heyboer is closer to 5H than 3H. But I think the iron has a smoother, more vintage sound, overall... compared to the Ceriatone iron.

I'm building a few of these, each with slight differences here and there. The next one will use the stock Ceriatone 5H choke. Same output transformer (Marstran 139). The PT is a Marstran 1202-55 (instead of Classic Tone). And for resistors, I'm using the Beyschlags.

I might swap around some caps in this current build with ceramics at some point to see how they affect the tone. But I have to figure out the values first. The clips I posted have 470pF in the tone stack and 470pF in the treble peaker. I've since swapped them for 560pF in tone stack and 500pF in treble peaker. The amp became much thicker and more of a thick growl. It lost a bit of the hi-fi, modern scooped sound. I think I might split the difference and go down to 500pF in the stone stack.

I also swapped the V1a plate from 390K to 330K. Amp lost a bit of snarl and grind. But some of the hair on the gain went away (a good thing). But I might go back to 390K. Other than those three changes, I think the amp is solid. It's got much tighter low-end than the Chupa, for sure. But I think that's due to the higher voltages and the lower value PI output caps.

[harddriver]

So according to one of your previous post you eluded to the fact that you had installed the IC MPW in most of your coupling cap positions... What are you using in your cathode bypass caps? Mallory 150's?

Judging by the final post did you revert back to the 820/.68uf configuration on V1A/V1B? The Mid growl aggression seemed to return on your final clip, just curious. Since I had seen you stated you were running 2k7/.68uf.

What is you final disposition of the MPW's now that you have heard them? Are you hearing the artifacts you heard previously in polypropylene caps? specifically Orange Drop 715/716's.

I hear the tightness which was what you were looking for compared to your original Chupa with .1uf's in the PI. .022 in the PI will tighten even further since you have a depth mod to introduce lows at low volume playing. You might even like 56pf to 100pf on the PI fizz cap as well for something to try.

[FourT6and2]

So according to one of your previous post you eluded to the fact that you had installed the IC MPW in most of your coupling cap positions... What are you using in your cathode bypass caps? Mallory 150's?

Vishay/ERO MKT1813

Judging by the final post did you revert back to the 820/.68uf configuration on V1A/V1B? The Mid growl aggression seemed to return on your final clip, just curious. Since I had seen you stated you were running 2k7/.68uf.

Nah, still has the 2K7/.68uF. I haven't even tried the 820 in V1b yet.

What is you final disposition of the MPW's now that you have heard them? Are you hearing the artifacts you heard previously in polypropylene caps? specifically Orange Drop 715/716's.

I'd say the amp has some similarities to the SLO I built in that it's more hi-fi and smooth sounding compared to my stock Chupa that has 150s. But I can't say if it's due to the caps or not. I might build the next one with Mallory 150s for comparison. But I haven't made up my mind yet. I have a bunch of the MPWs left still.

One thing's for sure, people who say the MPWs are "more aggressive" are BS'ing. If anything the Mallory 150s are more "Marshall" aggressive in the mids. But again, it's hard to really say on way or the other unless I built the same exact amp with all the other parts being the same. I've used all metal film everywhere instead of carbon film. And the iron is different.

I hear the tightness which was what you were looking for compared to your original Chupa with .1uf's in the PI. .022 in the PI will tighten even further since you have a depth mod to introduce lows at low volume playing. You might even like 56pf to 100pf on the PI fizz cap as well for something to try.

Yes, I'm very happy with the tighter low end! For my next build, I might adjust the PI bias feed/grid leak resistors. Stock value is 110K. I used 150K with the 0.047 caps. I might lower them to 120K next time.

And this amp does have a 100pF fizz cap.

I might also try a 39K slope resistor instead of the stock value of 47K (like Soldano). I'll parallel a 220K over the 47K to try it out first.

[harddriver]

I think the MF resistors contribute the most to the HiFi effect such as the SLO tone as the SLO exhibits. I believe the described MPW aggression occurs when they are used as Cathode Bypass caps in my experience.

There seems to be a correlation regarding Marshall tone to CF and Polyester Metalized Foil caps. I do use MF resistors and specific places where I want lowest noise and best precision.

The best sounding Cameron Jose I've heard was running plain jane Polyester caps the yellow ones with no name on them just the cap rating like tubes and more carries.

I guess you could swap out your stock Chupas .1 uf's with .047uf's to tighten up the low end and really compare a MF build to a CF build before you decide on what components to use in your next build. That would be interesting. I seen Larry gave you some advice to try, he really know his stuff and would not steer you wrong. You're lucky he replied I haven't seen him on here much anymore he was always very helpful in the past during the building heyday at Metro.

[FourT6and2]

I think the MF resistors contribute the most to the HiFi effect such as the SLO tone as the SLO exhibits. I believe the described MPW aggression occurs when they are used as Cathode Bypass caps in my experience.

There seems to be a correlation regarding Marshall tone to CF and Polyester Metalized Foil caps. I do use MF resistors and specific places where I want lowest noise and best precision.

The best sounding Cameron Jose I've heard was running plain jane Polyester caps the yellow ones with no name on them just the cap rating like tubes and more carries.

I guess you could swap out your stock Chupas .1 uf's with .047uf's to tighten up the low end and really compare a MF build to a CF build before you decide on what components to use in your next build. That would be interesting. I seen Larry gave you some advice to try, he really know his stuff and would not steer you wrong. You're lucky he replied I haven't seen him on here much anymore he was always very helpful in the past during the building heyday at Metro.

I think my Chupa is good the way it is. I used to think it was loose. But the guitars I use now are very articulate and tight and I make the Chupa work. I have some ideas for the next one that will make it more aggressive. We'll see what happens

[FourT6and2]

New clips.

Made a few other changes. Just playing around with the slope resistor value now. Any favorites? I think the amp sounds amazing now. Much more aggressive and has that Marshall grind, but tighter low end and a really punch attack. Not as loose as the stock Chupacabra. I think it's about done now.

33K: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izmQGKOERPE
35K: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSuZCKDQbDo
39K: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3Z5DMVvDG4
47K: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qtC8sVu-QA